Kona

Well seen as this website is mainly about getting to Kona, I thought I would outline how I actually plan to achieve that.

Currently I have IM Switzerland lined up for July, which is my main race this season (2009/2010) and then after that race, I go back to uni. Whilst this allows me more training time, it does mean that I will be again lacking an income so my IM races in 2011 are going to be seriously limited. By the looks of it I will probably do IMUK again as it will be the cheapest for me to do. Although it will be my third year racing Ironmans (assuming I stay on track), and the course favours my strengths, chances of qualification are very, very slim. Unless slots increase dramatically, there will be one slot, so I will either need to win my age group, or get extremely lucky with the roll-down, even if I have the perfect race.

After this year, I will (hopefully!) be back in a job earning money, so unless stuff comes up I will move to 2 IMs a year, and will probably race Lanzarote in May, seen as it has a killer bike course and I can cope with heat quite well. This will be my B Ironman race of the year, as main qualification race of 2012 will be IM Wisconsin. This course favours my strong cycling and is not especially hot. More importantly, being a big American race, the number of slots will be 2 or 3 depending on the number of entries in M18-24. This will give me a far greater chance of qualifying, and with another year of IMs in my legs, I should be placing higher up.

If I don’t qualify then, I will return the year later, as well as doing another early season IM. If I do qualify, then obviously 2013 willl be all about IM Hawaii. I will also probably do a Challenge race, possibly Roth. After 2013, I move up an age group! So thats my plan, but plans do never seem to do what you want…